The bridge that connects the two halves of Lehigh across the Des Moines River is nearing the end of its useful life. It is going to have to be replaced and doing so is going to cost big bucks. Those are inescapable facts. But here’s some good news: Webster County leaders have been able to ...

As the holiday season draws to a close each year, The Messenger’s writing staff embarks on a challenging adventure — producing a comprehensive look at how a wide array of developments in our region are shaping tomorrow. While every issue of this newspaper is filled with articles, features ...

The yellow cardboard boxes of negatives fill multiple shelves in the Webster County Historical Society's room in the Fort Dodge Public Library. Inside those boxes are about 12,000 photographic negatives. There are years written on the boxes. But what’s really inside them - what images are ...

Webster County is represented by three lawmakers who are uniquely positioned to have significant influence on the future course of our state. State Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. That’s the panel that handles spending bills. Every ...

One of the things that makes American democracy unique took place at the Webster County Courthouse last Thursday. There, in a brief ceremony, a peaceful and seamless transition of authority occurred when two newly-elected members of the Board of Supervisors, along with other officials who won ...

Every year around the holidays, the generosity of people who live in and around Fort Dodge blossoms. The familiar red kettles of The Salvation Army get filled with change by people going in and out of stores. Donations flow for initiatives like Bikes for Tykes. Those are some of the ...